When Starting Physical Therapy San Francisco Patients Should Know What To Expect

By Iva Cannon


Physical therapy can help make life easier and less painful for those who are coping with chronic disorders or injuries which have impaired their ability to move. A physical therapist works with each patient using a combination of techniques to help restore or regain strength, flexibility, coordination, and endurance. When beginning a course of physical therapy San Francisco CA patients may find the following information to be helpful.

People whose ordinary actions such as walking are made difficult or painful due to an illness or injury have hope for an improved lifestyle, with the assistance of a compassionate physical therapist. Physical therapy arms those with impaired mobility with the understanding, exercises, and equipment they may need in order to recover or improve substantially from their affliction.

Physical therapists are required to earn a master's degree or doctorate in their discipline from an accredited educational facility and pass a state licensing exam before they can practice. They thoroughly assess the cause of pain and limited mobility in each patient, and develop a treatment plan which will most effectively address these issues, and hopefully eliminate the need for medications or surgery.

During the first appointment, the therapist will obtain a complete medical background of the patient, and he or she will also perform several diagnostic tests to evaluate various aspects of the patient's movement which will help pinpoint the nature of the problem. Tests to assess the patient's functional activities, gait, flexibility, and body mechanics will be carried out, and based on these findings, a therapy plan will be made.

Together, the patient and therapist will establish some goals and decide how to accomplish them. Being able to perform one's daily activities is usually part of this strategy, and it is best facilitated by a combination of exercises to reduce pain and promote healing, along with the use of personal mobility or home safety equipment to assist in their recovery. They will also be taught ways to do these tasks which can minimize discomfort.

An integral element in any successful care program is patient education. Therapists help patients learn new, safer ways to carry out normal tasks as well as work-related activities, which typically includes modifying one's workplace in an ergonomic manner so it will allow one to go about their job without creating a set-back in his or her recovery.

Therapists often implement the use of various fitness machines in their patients' care plans. Equipment such as stationary bikes, treadmills, and stair-climbers are effective for improving one's cardio output, strength and endurance. Regular exercises which are used to restore strength or mobility to a joint or muscle group are also a major component of many therapy programs and these may include proprioception, passive and active range of motion, and postural correction exercises.

Therapists may also use either deep tissue or soft tissue mobilization massage as part of their patient's treatment, the former is used primarily to ease pain while the latter is most effective for restoring normal function to damaged tissues. All details of the patient's progress in therapy will be communicated by the therapist to the primary care physician, and modification will be made to the plan as indicated by the patient's advancements.




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